Senate passes Leahy's anti-domestic violence bill

Feb. 12, 2013

Written by

and BRIAN TUMULTY

WASHINGTON — The Senate voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to approve anti-domestic violence legislation, a top priority for Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont.

The bill, which passed 78-22, would reauthorize the landmark Violence Against Women Act signed into law nearly 20 years ago. The Senate also voted 93-5 to pass an amendment by Leahy that would help law enforcement investigate human trafficking crimes.

Leahy said after the vote that securing the bill’s passage is one reason he chose to remain chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee this Congress.

“Today, we showed that the Senate can be (the) conscience of the nation,” said Leahy, the bill’s lead sponsor. “Now let’s let the (House) do the same.”

The 1994 federal law has been expanded twice, but a third proposed expansion — that would have added Native Americans, illegal immigrants and members of the LGBT community — failed last year.

The Senate voted 68-31 last April to add the three new groups, but the version that passed the Republican-controlled House in May omitted them. The differences weren’t reconciled before the last Congress ended its term.

“You can’t pick and choose among which victims you’ll help,” Leahy said Tuesday.

House Republican leaders are working to protect this year’s slightly modified version of the bill from falling victim to gridlock.

Its biggest challenge is opposition from some House Republicans to a provision that would let tribal courts prosecute alleged domestic abusers who are not Native Americans. The bill that passed the Senate on Tuesday allows that in cases in which the victim is a Native American living on tribal lands.